What Happens in Canada, Stays in Canada
by Saphire Ravven8
Summary: Rated R for use of the f-word from Logan & hints at sex,nothin outright,just kissing & low lighting,I swear. I'll try to keep swears to a min.for those who don't like cursing. Anyways, story: Someone from Rouge's past comes back for vengeance. What'd she
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I own only the plot. Bummer. Wolverine would be fun...

A/N: TAke a closer look into what REALLY happened on Rouge's way up to Canada and what happens when her past comes back to haunt her, taking several of the other students with her. I haven't read the comics, just seen the movies, so forgive me if some of my info is off

Rouge woke to the sound of gunshots and shattering glass. Explosives' resonating booms echoed through the school's long, dark hallways. She jumped as more shots rang out and screaming pierced the air that was still not five minutes ago. She leaped out of bed and took the time to pull off her silk-and-lace slinky black night dress and pull on a pair on tight, form-fitting Levi's and a flare-sleeved, low cut, red shirt. She could never be too careful. She grabbed her black, elbow high gloves from her night stand and pulled her hair into a tight ponytail. Another explosion shook the floor beneath her and she let slip a little scream before shoving her feet into her shoes. She dashed to the door, yanked it open and ran out into the chaotic hallway.

Students ran helter-skelter in every direction, screaming, calling for friends, trying to escape the bullets and falling debris. A strong, muscled arm bumped into her and she almost fell, but found herself being held by the same pair of arms. "Are you okay?" It was Piotr. He pulled her to her feet and steadied her gently.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." Rouge assured him. "What the hell is going on?" She shrieked as another explosion blasted huge chunks out of the wall opposite them. Piotr grabbed the arms of the only other two people in the hall, pulled them under his bent body, along with Rouge, and turned his body to steel, effectively shielding them from the falling rock and plaster. Once the pieces had fallen to the floor, he straightened and let them out from beneath the shelter of his body. He looked at Rouge seriously.

"I have no idea." He stated grimly.

"We have to get the kids out of here," Kitty said. They jumped; neither of them noticed that she was standing next to them. Rouge glared at her. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." She flashed them a grin before her brief smile faded. "No, seriously, we have to get out. The school's practically falling down around us. It isn't safe."

"You're right." Piotr agreed.

"Okay, you two go round up the students and go to the underground safe house near the school that Xavier told us about. I've gotta find Bobby and Logan." Rouge said, not waiting for an answer before racing off down the hallway in search of her boyfriend and best friend.

"Rouge wait!" Piotr called after her, but with no results. She was quickly lost from sight around the corner. "Come on," he and Kitty ran in the opposite direction, rounding up the other students.

"Bobby! Logan!" Rouge yelled as she ran in the direction of Bobby's room. She ran around the corner and saw Bobby shielding a young student, a little girl named Jamie, from a bullet that had just been fired at her by someone dressed in camouflaged pants and a black shirt. He pulled Jamie to the ground, trying to avoid the bullet himself, and, luckily for him, the small deadly piece of steel only just nicked his upper arm. He cried out in pain and clamped his hand over the bleeding wound. "Bobby!" Rouge shrieked in fear and ran to his side; she hadn't seen where the bullet had hit. She'd only seen the blood. Jamie stood and fled, eyes wide with fear as she glanced back over her shoulder at the man who was still standing there.

Bobby placed his blood covered hand on the floor and shot ice along it at the man, layering him in thick sheets of ice, turning him and his weapons into nothing more than colorful ice statues. "Rouge, get out of here." Bobby said through gritted teeth, putting his hand back over the cut in his arm. He looked around at the desecration surrounding them. Windows were shattered and bits of glass layered the floor, chunks of wall and ceiling loomed out of the shadows like rocks in the fog over a river. Dust and plaster layered everything thickly, making them cough when they tried to breathe.

"I'm not going anywhere without you." She replied stubbornly, helping him to his feet. He looked her straight in the eyes and saw the determination there. He sighed.

"Fine, let's go." He took her hand and they ran, just as an explosive hit the place where they had been standing only moments before. The explosion sent them flying up and forward several feet before they landed, winded, on the floor.

"Shit. That was close." Rouge commented, as they picked themselves up off the floor and dusted themselves off.

"Too close. Come on." He tugged at her hand. "Have you seen Scott or Storm or...well...any of the teachers? Or Piotr or Kitty?" She shook her head no.

"I haven't seen Scott, or Storm. Piotr and Kitty went to help the other kids get out of the school and to the safe house." She replied. "Have you seen Logan?"

"No."

"We've gotta find him."

"No," Bobby said sternly. "We've gotta get out of here. It's not safe. Logan'll be alright, besides, he made me swear that I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

"And nothing will. But you need to understand, Bobby. I can't leave without him. He saved my life; he took care of me when I had no one else. He was the only one who gave a damn about me after I left home."

Bobby pulled her to an abrupt stop, almost making her stumble. Emotions flashed across his face so fast that Rouge didn't have time to try and read them. He finally settled for a blank face and a sad look in his eyes. "He really means that much to you?"

Rouge sighed and raised a gloved hand to his cheek, brushing her thumb over his smooth skin, wishing, though impossibly, that she could feel his skin with nothing at all on her hands. She hated her mutation. It wasn't a gift, it was a curse. I curse that cut her off from the rest of the world, forced her to keep a distance between her and the people she loved that no on else had to. She sighed again and pushed the thoughts from her head, knowing that it was pointless to dwell on something she couldn't change. This was the best she could do and she would work with what she had. Even if it was this cursed mutation.

"Yes, he means a lot to me, but so do you. You are both important to me, just in different ways. Logan has been an amazing influence in my life, he pulled me back from the edge when I met him up north...You wouldn't believe some of the stupid things I did after I left home...," her voice trailed off and for a moment her eyes betrayed her and showed regret and fear. She hadn't meant for that last part to come out. She squeezed her eyes shut tight for a few seconds, then opened them again and continued before Bobby had a chance to ask questions.

"Anyways," she said hastily, "_You _are my boyfriend. But you need to understand that I care about Logan too. You are just as important to me as he is. Plus, I already know that you don't just want me for...you know...benefits...You like me for who I am and not what I can or...can't, in my case, offer you. And I love that about you." Rouge assured him. Thankfully, and to her great relief, Bobby was swayed by her flattery and forgot, at least for the moment, what she had let slip earlier, and smiled.

"Okay," He grinned. "Let's go find us a Wolverine." Rouge giggled, half out of amusement, half out of relief. They ran, finally noticing the danger in staying in that one place for so long, as their ears were met once again, with loud gunfire.

"Logan!" Rouge called, leading Bobby towards his room. "Logan, where are you?!" She shrieked and jumped backwards, losing her balance and falling into Bobby when the tousle-haired, rugged-looking, dark haired, dark eyed man dropped down in front of her from above, claws exposed.

She slapped his shoulder hard and glared at him, regaining the breath that was driven out of her chest in her surprise. "Jesus, Logan! Don't DO that!" She laid her hand over her pounding heart. "Where the hell've you been?!"

He ignored her comments and his eyes flickered all around in watchful vigilance. "Why are you still here? Why didn't you go to the safe house with the others?" He glared at her sternly.

"She wouldn't leave without you." Bobby responded for her. "She was worried about you."

"Old One-Eye and I are handling it. And I can take care of myse-," He stopped mid-sentence and his body stiffened as a bullet hit the center of his back in a swirl of flesh and blood. His eyes rolled up into his head and he fell forward at Bobby and Rouge's feet.

"LOGAN!" Rouge screamed as he fell. She and Bobby dropped to their knees beside his fallen form, "Oh my God." They watched as blood poured from the bullet wound. "Logan," tears pricked at the corners of her burning eyes.

"He'll be alright, watch." Bobby assured her. But they never got a chance to watch. He was looking down at Logan when he felt Rouge stiffen beside him and clench her hand painfully tight around his wrist. He looked up sharply and froze. In their concern for Logan they had completely forgotten about the person that had shot him.

Rouge was staring down the barrel of a gun that was pointed straight at her forehead, her eyes wide. "No false moves mu'ant, or she ge's i' righ' b'tween th'eyes." His cold voice held a heavy British accent.

"What are you talking about? This is a school. There're no mutants here." Bobby spoke hastily, trying to figure out how to get the gun away from Rouge's face without the man shooting her.

"Yeah righ' kid. 'Ow stupid d'you think oi am?"

"Pretty stupid," they heard Scott growl and a red flash temporarily blinded them as Cyclops took out their attacker from behind. They were still for a moment before reality came rushing back and Scott ran to their side. "Are you guys okay?" He asked hastily, putting a hand on each of their shoulders. Rouge swallowed hard and nodded, visibly shaking.

"Yeah," Bobby found his voice, "but I thought we were goners for a minute there."

Logan groaned and stirred beside them. He sat up slowly, shaking his fog-filled head, "bastard," he growled and scratched at the place where the bullet hole had been.

"Logan!" Rouge exclaimed, throwing her arms around him in relief, catching him off –guard, almost making them both fall backwards. He regained his balance with a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth and put his arms around her small frame, stroking her hair comfortingly.

"Hey, it's okay, I'll live. I've gotten worse." She pulled back and smirked at him.

"Like flying through the front window of your truck because you didn't have your seatbelt on? Or being shot in the forehead by the Boston police? Or-," he clapped a hand over her mouth, effectively silencing her. She giggled and flicked her tongue out, licking the palm of his hand. He pulled his hand back hastily, wiping it on his pants.

"Ugh, that was gross." He wrinkled his nose.

"No, what's gross are those nasty cigars you smoke." She quipped.

"Smartass," he grinned and the others laughed.

"You know it." She smiled cheekily. Suddenly another explosion, bigger than the others, ripped through the school and they jumped.

"Let's get going." Scott said as they got to their feet. An explosion, closer this time, shook the floor beneath their feet making Rouge shriek and grip Bobby's hand tightly as the guys jumped at the loud explosion. Bobby shot her a pained look and she loosened her grip on his hand, smiling apologetically. They ran, fleeing the mass destruction that was once, not that long ago, their sanctuary, their safe house.

"Did the others get out okay?" Rouge asked as they ran.

"Yes," Scott answered. "Storm, Piotr, and Kitty led the rest of the students out of the school and to an underground safe house nearby." They rounded a corner and Rouge shrieked again as they came face-to-face with over a dozen of their invaders.

"Stay back," Logan ordered, shoving Bobby and Rouge back around the corner. He turned to Scott. _Funny how something like this can make even us work together_, Logan mused. "Ready?" He asked out loud, glaring back at the men before them.

"Hell yeah," Scott replied and they jumped on the attackers with fierce growls.

Logan ripped apart three men, then severed the head off of a fourth before twisting, mid-leap, and ramming his claws deep in the chest of a fifth man. Scott kept one hand on the control of his visor, blasting two guys out a nearby window. He rounded on two more and blew them to bits, and then round-house kicked another one out of a gaping hole in the wall. Then he and Logan were back to back, fighting as one in a spinning wheel of death.

Logan had just killed the last attacker when he heard Rouge scream and Bobby cry out her name in rage and fear. The two adults ran to where the teens had been hiding. What they saw made them stop short, unable and not willing to move.

Rouge struggled against the muscled arms that held her tightly and painfully. The person holding her was in his early twenties with longish blonde-brown hair that hung loosely in his devastatingly blue eyes. He had a vicious snow-white smile playing across his face.

"Hello again, Rouge." He whispered close to her ear, lips brushing against her cheek. She froze and her eyes widened. Logan saw the change in her disposition and stepped forward. The man holding her jerked her back by her hair, raising a glinting silver blade to her throat.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: see prev. ch.

A/N: I'm updating faster now, aren't u proud of me! I LOVE HIGH-SPEED INTERNET!!! ::pets internet service:: hehehehe. I hope you all are liking my story, and if a reader is a Buffy fan, u'll notice that one of the kidnapped kids has a name similar to a Buffy char, Riley Finn. Not the same person, I swear. I do't own Buffy's Riley either, which is unfortunate 'cause he was hot... Anyways, I just couldn't think of another last name that went with Roley, forgive me... Enjoy the chap.

Rouge struggled against the muscled arms that held her tightly and painfully. The person holding her was in his early twenties with longish blonde-brown hair that hung loosely in his devastatingly blue eyes. He had a vicious snow-white smile playing across his face.

"Hello again, Rouge." He whispered close to her ear, lips brushing against her cheek. She froze and her eyes widened. Logan saw the change in her disposition and stepped forward. The man holding her jerked her back by her hair, raising a glinting silver blade to her throat.

"Let her go." Logan snarled, the hair on the back of his neck rising and his claws extending as far as they could go. Something was wrong here. Not just that this man held Rouge hostage, but something else was off, he just couldn't put his finger on it.

"I rather think not," the man replied, a slight English accent slipping into his voice. He pressed the tip of the knife slightly deeper into her pale skin, but not deep enough to draw blood. Rouge locked large, fear-filled eyes on Logan's smoldering ones. Yup, there was definitely something bigger going on here, Logan decided. Logan had stepped in front of Bobby, shielding him from the knife-wielding man.

"What do you want with her? He growled.

"Oh, I think she knows," He chuckled quietly at his own little joke. Rouge squeezed her eyes shut as his words.

"Maybe she does, but we don't, so why don't you tell us." Logan kept his voice deceptively calm.

"No, I don't think I will. But I can tell you that I intend on using her as my own personal shield so I can get out of here unscathed by those pretty little claws of yours. The other reason," He snarled and pressed the blade deeper. Rouge flinched and whimpered as the blade bit into her flesh and a trickle of blood ran down the hollow of her throat. "Well, let's just say I'm keeping _her_ for my own reasons. The others I intend to add to my..._collection_." He cracked a grin.

"Collection?"

"Of mutants, of course." He laughed harshly and Rouge's eyes widened visibly and Logan growled deep in his throat.

"That's sick," Scott spat in disgust. "We may be mutants, but we're still people, and this is still kidnapping."

"I'll keep your secret, if you keep mine." He grinned again, taking his index finger off of the blade and touching a drop of Rouge's blood with his finger and smearing it across her throat. Logan made as if to leap forward when a quiet ringing noise broke the near-silence, making everyone jump. Scott pulled a small phone out of his pocket and answered to Logan's rolling eyes.

"Now's _really _not a good time." He snapped, then there was a pause in which Scott's eyes got increasingly wider, then narrowed to angry slits. "We're on it." He hung up abruptly and raised fierce eyes to the man before them.

"Who was that?" Logan spat in annoyance.

"Storm. This arrogant bastard kidnapped eight other students."

"What!?" Logan growled.

Rouge had stayed utterly still and silent since her friends' arrival on the scene of her potential kidnapping, with her arms pinned tightly to her sides, but now her eyes flared with anger at her situation and for letting herself be caught again by this man from her past, Zachary Stanton. She slowly, carefully lifted her fingers to the top of her glove and curled her fingers around the fabric. She looked straight into Logan's eyes and he read her intentions perfectly. He knew what she was about to do and he shook his head, making her lower her hand grudgingly and glare at him in annoyance. Deep inside, she knew that it was an irrational and dangerous plan, she also knew that he was looking out for her safety, but it didn't make her any less angry or make her feel any less helpless.

She gasped sharply when Zachary yanked her arm behind her back. She bit her lip to keep from crying out at the pain that shot through her arm, but she couldn't stop the tears that formed in her eyes.

"Now, Rouge, love, let's you and I and some of your freaky little friends go for a little trip, shall we?" He grinned maliciously and pulled her backwards by her twisted arm, making her gasp again.

"No!" Logan yelled and began to run forward to stop him, but ground to a stop when Stanton pulled a small handgun out of his belt and cocked it, pressing the barrel against Rouge's temple.

"Logan," Rouge spoke up suddenly. "I'll be okay. I'll keep an eye on the others and make sure they're alright."

"Rouge," he began.

"Logan," she interrupted, "Please. Listen closely, twelve dash one twenty eight dash ninety two." He looked at her, bewildered. She felt her arm being pulled again and back away, easing the sharp pain in her arm. "Remember Logan, remember."

"Shut up, Rogue." Zachary snarled, not liking that she was talking about something he didn't understand with the most vicious looking man he'd ever encountered. He took the butt of the gun and slammed it into the side of her head, knocking her unconscious.

"Rouge!" Bobby exclaimed, running forward and being held back by Logan as they watched helplessly as Zachary slung Rogue over his shoulder and fled the school. One man, flanking Zachary fired a final explosive over his shoulder. Logan shoved Bobby and Scott around the corner and jumped away from the plummeting chunks of ceiling.

When the dust had cleared, Bobby and Scott looked around for Logan, coughing slightly on the settling dust. They called for him but got no answer. "Oh my God," Bobby breathed, catching sight of a leather-jacketed arm protruding from beneath a huge slab of rack and plaster from the ceiling.

"Logan," Scott murmured, running over to where the other man lay, crushed beneath the rock. He and Bobby tried to lift it off of Logan, but with no success. "He can't heal himself unless we get him out from under there. The weight will crush him to death before his mutation gets a chance to work effectively. We have to get him out of there."

"How the hell do we do that? It's huge."

"I don't know," Scott sighed, trying to think of a possible solution. Suddenly the rock began lifting into the air, and then was set off to the side as Xavier rolled into view, face grave. They watched in tense silence as the blood all over Logan disappeared and he gasped as air was finally able to enter his crushed body. He coughed and his breath came out in shallow gasps for several long moments before he got control of his body. Scott rushed over to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?" He asked quietly. Logan groaned quietly and shook his spinning head, but he nodded. "Come on," Scott offered Logan his hand and helped him to his feet, steadying him when he swayed, and leaving him to stand against a wall to keep himself upright independently. Scott knew that Logan hated to feel like he depended on anyone. The Wolverine helped himself.

"Logan, are you alright?" Xavier asked.

Logan 's eyes shot up from where they had been looking at his feet and glared at Xavier, dark eyes smoldering. He held his stomach as his crushed ribs healed.

"Where the HELL were you?!" Logan growled angrily, taking an unsteady step forward. "Where the hell were you when those people attacked _your_ school and took _your_ students!?" He took a few more steps forward until he was only a foot away form Xavier's face. "Where were you when they kidnapped Rogue!?" He was shouting now. "We had to watch while he held a knife to her throat! We had to watch while he hurt her and put a gun to her head! We had to watch while he hit her and took her away! I couldn't help her without getting her killed! None of could! But where THE FUCK were YOU!!??" He screamed into Xavier's face, who, for the first time, looked less than passive. He looked ashamed and a worried. Bobby and Scott glared at him fiercely and Xavier could tell that they agreed with every word Logan had said. He knew that, should the time come, they would not be backing him. He sighed.

"I'm sorry," and he truly looked sorry. "I only just back. I was visiting an old friend. I came as soon as I heard what was happening. I wish I had been here to help you stop them. But we will get them back. All of them. I promise." He paused. "All we have to do is figure out where he took them. I've already tried with Cerebro, but I got nothing. Not even a tiny blip."

"What does that mean?" Scott asked.

"One of two things, either he's found a way to block my telepathy...or..."

"Or what?" Logan growled, already knowing the answer, but wishing that he didn't.

"Or...he's already killed them." Xavier downcast his eyes and Bobby inhaled sharply.

"Don't say that! Don't _ever_ say that!" Bobby exclaimed fiercely, once again having to be restrained by Logan, who was having a hard enough time restraining himself, the urge to rip out Xavier's heart with his bare hands overwhelming him. He pushed the morbid thought away, knowing that Xavier was probably the only one who could find Rogue.

"I'm not saying that, Bobby." Xavier replied calmly. "I'm just telling you the only two possibilities."

"Well, for that bastard's sake, he'd better hope it's the first one," Logan spat. 'If anything happens to her..."

"We'll get her back." Scott assured him.

"Who else?" Bobby asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Logan and Scott said in unison, raising their eyebrows at him. Xavier gave him a quizzical look.

"You said eight other students, beside Rogue, were taken. Who else did he get?"

"Oh!" Scott said as realization dawned. "Alex Felton, Tina Cordet, Rachel Stevens, Tyler and Shane Basset, Emma Dunkin, Ana Michaels, and Riley Flynn."

Alex was twelve. He was telepathic. Rachel, also a telepath, and was sixteen. Shane, Tyler, and Ana were also sixteen. Ana was an empath, Shane and Tyler could mass, making themselves invincible, Shane could also become invisible, and Tyler could phase, meaning objects could pass through him, or he could walk through solid objects, much like Kitty. Tina was thirteen and had telepathic and telekinetic abilities. Emma, fifteen and fairly sane for her age, could levitate and control wind. Not all weather like Storm, just the wind. Riley, also fifteen, was an empath like Ana.

"Jesus, they've got kids from almost every age group." Logan sighed.

"Yes, and Rouge, she's what, sixteen, seventeen?" Xavier asked.

"She'll be eighteen in a month and a half." Bobby answered absently. "Hey Logan, what were those numbers she told you before?"

"I don't know. It was kinda weird of her to say something that random..." He turned to Xavier. "Professor, do these numbers, twelve dash one twenty eight dash ninety two, mean anything to you?"

A thoughtful look came over Xavier's face as he pondered the question. A slow smile crept onto his face then he grinned. "Good girl, Rouge, very good!"

TO BE CONTINUED...

A/N: See, one f-word usage...I'll try to keep teh swearing to a bare minimum, but we all know what Logan's like, don't we?


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/n: Sorry, I know I haven't updated in almost 2 months. I really just haven't had the time. School is keeping me super busy. I'll try to stay up on my updates, anyways, here's the next chapter:

"Hey Logan, what were those numbers she told you before?"

"I don't know. It was kinda weird of her to say something that random..." He turned to Xavier. "Professor, do these numbers, twelve dash one twenty eight dash ninety two, mean anything to you?"

A thoughtful look came over Xavier's face as he pondered the question. A slow smile crept onto his face then he grinned. "Good girl, Rouge, very good!" He said, more to himself than to the others looking at him in confusion. "Follow me," he led them down to the lower labs, basically undamaged by the attack.

"What's the deal, Xavier?" Logan asked impatiently.

"The numbers Rouge gave you are the code for activating a small tracking device that we placed on the back of her necklace, that one she wears all the time. The one Bobby gave her, I believe." Bobby smiled and they all nodded in understanding. "She came to me with the idea a few months after the Liberty Island incident." Scott flinched visibly. Jean had been there and any thoughts of her brought with it painful memories. Xavier continued as though he hadn't noticed, but watched Logan touch his shoulder comfortingly. "She said, should something like that happen again, at least we'd be able to locate her faster and stop whatever was happening."

"She never said anything to me about it," Bobby said, sounding a little hurt.

'Yeah," Logan agreed, the same hurt tone in his voice.

"Don't take it personally, you two. Nobody but Rouge and I knew about it and I asked her not to say anything. It was safer that way. For everyone." Xavier pulled up in front of a computer and waited for it to boot up. When it did, he pulled up a program and typed in the code, then pressed enter. A bunch of numbers and letters flashed by rapidly at eh bottom of the screen and a map appeared.

"This will only take a minute," Xavier mumbled, and just as he did, a little ding sounded from the computer's small speaker and a red dot moved quickly along the screen, following the maps little roads.

"Is that her?" Logan asked, indicating the dot.

"Yes."

"Jesus, they're moving fast."

"One would assume they were trying to make a fast getaway and get as far from here as humanly possible and quickly as humanly possible."

"They can't run forever," Logan growled deep in his throat. "And when they stop, they're gonna get a nasty surprise."

"Damn straight," Bobby agreed.

"Oh no, Boy Wonder," Logan said cynically. "I fly solo."

"Not a chance in hell. She's _my_ girlfriend and I'm helping you find her." Bobby crossed his arms over his chest and glared at him determinedly.

"So am I," Scott said. "There's no way we're letting you go alone. Besides," he smirked, "you'd probably save Rouge and leave the other kids there. Once you decide something your mind is a little dead set on that one thing and you forget abut everyone else."

"Shut it, Scott, at least I don't have to wear those stupid glasses all the time."

Scott smirked and raised a hand to his custom made glasses. "I could take them off if you want?" He suggested threateningly. Logan raised his hands in mock-surrender, chuckling a bit. "Give up?" Scott grinned.

"For now," Logan nodded. "We have more important things to worry about. Like rescuing those kids."

Rouge was thrown into the back of a slate grey van, landing sprawled, bound and gagged, on Tyler's legs. Tyler, Emma and Riley were in her van; Shane, Tina, Ana, Rachel, and Alex were in the second. There was a special coating on the van's interior that blocked psychic waves from being passed between cars and to prevent Xavier from locating them.

Riley scooted over to her, arms and legs bound, but not gagged. "She's hurt," he cringed, feeling her pain in his own body. He put his back to her and gently pulled the gag out of her mouth. A few minutes later she groaned and opened her eyes slowly, looking around.

"Hey Rouge, you okay?" Tyler asked from above her, as she still lay on his legs.

"Yeah," she winced as she got her knees underneath her and sat up, leaning against the wall beside Tyler. Emma hovered a few feet off the floor on the other side of the van. Riley sat across from Rouge, face screwed up in concentration as he warded off everyone else's emotions.

"Who are these guys?" Emma asked. "What do they want from us?"

"I don't know," Tyler and Riley replied quietly. Rouge looked at the floor for a few moments in silence before looking up sadly.

"Zachary Stanton." She said. The others looked up at her sharply.

"Who?" They asked simultaneously.

"Someone...from my past..." Rouge whispered, and then was lost to her own thoughts.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Still own nothin'

A/N: Sorry all, been busy, I'm not dead. Though my MX readers might think so...oopsies...heh. Enjoy the chapter!

_FLASHBACK_

Rouge sat at the bar of a nice little place, just over the Canadian border called Café Michel, swirling her coke around inside her glass with a straw. She stared blankly at the chipped mahogany wood of the bar, contemplating how she would get money for her next meal. Prostituting wasn't an option. She had way too much self-respect for that. She didn't know how to play poker or pool, so she couldn't lay bets on a game. She'd have to get a job, somehow. Waitress-ing, maybe? You got to keep the tips and usually paid well. It was the only thing she could think of, so she went with it.

Not a week later she found herself waiting tables at Café Michel, dressed in a maroon shirt with four buttons at the collar and black pants. A white apron was tied around her waist and held her notepad and pen. She had discovered after the first day, that undoing the shirt buttons and showing a little flesh got her bigger tips from the drooling men, which were most of her customers.

The owner had been nice enough, after hearing a heavily edited version of her story, had put her up in one of the rooms above the café for free until she had gotten back on her feet. You know the whole sob story, my folks kicked me out, I'm only sixteen, I've been on my own for months, I'm out of money and have no place to live and haven't eaten in days. That sort of thing. Well, she couldn't very well have told him the truth. She didn't think, "Hey, I'm a mutant who almost killed her last boyfriend and am currently on the run," would go over very well. It would be like throwing herself to the wolves.

The rooms she now inhabited were nice, in comparison to some of the other dumps she'd stayed at, like alleys, empty ransacked buildings, things like that. Her apartment had three rooms, a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen/dining/living room area, which was fairly large. The bedroom was painted a darkish blue with white trim and came complete with bed and a dresser with a mirror, plus a closet, both of which she happily used to put her things in after washing them. The bathroom was a mauve and pink, also with white trim and fixtures. The living/dining/kitchen, which she fondly called the multi-purpose room, was a deep, rich burgundy-red in the kitchen which was separated from the living/dining room by a small quarter-wall, and the other room was a light green. It was really, very nice and she was very appreciative of the owner for letting her stay there.

She had arrived at work her first night, not in uniform, as it hadn't come in yet, with her hair tied back and absolutely no idea what the hell she was doing. Nervous and scared, she had mixed up the orders for her first two customers and had forgotten what table her third was sitting at and had ended up getting it to him cold. Luckily, he had been very nice about it and hadn't screamed at her, but he didn't tip her well. So her first night was kind of a flop, but she had done better after the next few nights, memorizing her tables and where they were and working harder at remembering who had ordered what.

Then one night, three weeks after she had begun her job there, she met a man with the most gorgeous blue eyes she had ever seen. They seemed to draw her in and hold her, making her blush furiously before she got her teenage hormones under control.

He couldn't have been more than eighteen at the time, fresh out of high school and ready to see the world. His hair was long, to the middle of his neck, with layers as far up as his neatly chiseled jaw line, framing his face perfectly, bringing attention to his already-magnetic eyes. His skin was evenly tanned, giving her reason to believe that it came from a tanning salon, rather than the beach. He was tall, probably just south of six feet and dressed well in tight fitting boot-cut jeans and a blue shirt that clung loosely to his well-built frame.

He had sat down facing her and smiled when she walked over, showing perfect teeth and small dimples. She had smiled back and handed him a menu, which he had taken, fingers brushing her own.

"How are you tonight, sir?" She had asked politely, flashing him a dazzling smile.

"Sir? Now, we can't have that. It's weird...call me Zach. And I'm just fine, and you?" His eyes met hers and a slight pink tinge returned to her cheeks, which she had thought she'd had under control.

"I'm good, thank you for asking. Well, I'll be back in a minute to take your order." She smiled again and walked away, biting her lip and smiling to herself.

When she returned a few minutes later he graced her with another handsome smile. "Hey, you're back," he said and for the first time she noticed his light English accent, which only made him more cute.

"Well, it is my job," she laughed and he joined her. "Have you decided what you want to order?"

"Yes, but I'd like to know your name first."

"Rouge," she replied.

"Rouge," he repeated, "that's an interesting name." He smiled again and ordered his food. When she returned with his food they continued their flirtations.

"Is it just me, or are you flirting with me?"

"I'm not the only one flirting here, you know," he laughed.

"Trust me, I know."

"So, when do you get off?" He asked.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Oh, I don't know, I thought I might have the pleasure of taking you out for an ice cream or something."

"Are you asking me out, Zachary Stanton?" She asked with a bright smile.

"Yes," he replied simply.

"Well, then, I don't get off 'til eleven tonight, but I'm only working until eight on Sunday, if you'd care to try again." And with that she turned and walked away with a smile.

Apparently, he did care to try again, because Sunday at eight-o-nine, when she stepped outside into the frosty Canadian air to go around back to the steps leading up to her apartment, there he was, waiting for her outside the restaurant door.

"Good evening, pretty woman, may I interest you in a carriage ride into town?" He asked cordially. She laughed and smiled. He was dressed very handsomely in a lightly pinstriped black suit with a blue undershirt that matched his eyes and a black tie.

"Sure, but I'm obviously under-dressed, so if you'd like to come upstairs you can hang out while I shower and change." She suggested with a smile.

"Of course, fair lady, I would wait forever if need be."

"Oh, you're quite the charmer."

"You have yet to see the full extent of my charm, Lady Rouge." With that and a smile at words, Rouge led him up to her apartment and left him in the living room while she showered and blow dried her long hair.

She pulled a robe around her small frame and poked her head around the bathroom door. "I'm coming out, so no peeking." She warned and watched as he covered his eyes with his hands, a light smile playing across his lips.

She walked quickly to her bedroom and shut the door behind her, locking it, just in case. She then went to her closet and pulled out a long dark-sapphire-colored gown that she had worn to her last boyfriend's prom. It was fitted at the top and had a slit on the side that went to the top of her thigh. It crossed in the front and formed a halter at the base of her neck. It had a corset back and the strings hung down her back. It was tight and form-fitting to the hips and was flowy in the skirt.

She went to her mirrored dresser and looked through her assorted jewelry, opting for a silver bracelet studded with tiny blue jewels and a matching anklet on the leg that showed out of the slitted side of her dress. There was no need for a necklace due to the design of her dress. She slid her feet into black strappy heels and put on silver, sparkly chandelier earrings. Her nails were already self-French manicured from the other day. She pulled out her makeup case and put on deep red lipstick and black eyeliner and mascara, then covered her eyelids in a soft shimmery blue eye shadow and a soft pink blush. She then turned to her hair.

This was the tricky part. Up or down? She debated with herself about it for several minutes before twisting it upward and clipping the twisted part, leaving the rest to hang over the edge of the clip and fall about the back of her head in soft curls. A few strands lay on the back of her neck and she pulled a few pieces out and left them to frame her face elegantly. She smiled at her reflection and grabbed her small black purse, slipping her small flip-phone inside and opening her bedroom door, stepping out into the dim light of the living room.

Zachary's breath caught in his throat as she walked slowly out of the bedroom on the carpeted floor, face shining and a smile playing across her lips at the look on his face. "Whoa," he whispered, swallowing hard.

"See something you like?" She asked coyly, smiling as she did a little turn so he could see the back of the dress.

"Wow," he coughed politely, trying to regather his wits. "That was uh... quite the transformation." He looked at his watch. "And in less than an hour. Impressive." She smiled at him warmly.

"Why thank you," she grinned. "I do try." He stood and offered her his arm, which she accepted until they got to the door and she grabbed her winter jacket and a blanket to put over them in the carriage. That dress really wasn't winter appropriate. She realized that she didn't care. She wanted to look pretty for him. She slipped her jacket on and looped her arm back through his, smiling up at his face.

The horse-drawn carriage awaited them at the base of the stairs, the driver nodding at them and beckoning them forward.

"Let's get a move on kids, eh? It's freezin' out here." The Canadian native said cheerfully, rubbing his palms together and holding the reigns between his knees. Rouge laughed and Zachary helped her step up into the carriage.

_END FLASHBACK_

TO BE CONTINUED...

A/N: Okay, this is all I've written so far, so a new update might take awhile...bear with me. And thanks to the THREE PEOPLE who've reviewed (That is so sad)...


End file.
